10 Exercises to Fit into Your Day

Do you find it difficult to fit exercise into your day? Is going to the gym the last thing on your mind when you get home? Why not try one of our top ten exercises that only take ten minutes. You could fit a quick work-out into any day of the week.

1. Make an energetic start

Set your alarm 10 minutes early, go for a quick walk or jog, or put some music on and get dancing! It will lift your mood for the rest of the day as well as boosting energy levels.

2. Don’t fight the fidgets

Stuck in meetings and dying to get up and get moving? Tap your toes for ten minutes, elevate your knees from your chair and tense your core, or even shift your weight from side to side. Sound crazy? It may, but those fidgeters who engage in spontaneous and constant minor activity, can burn around 108 extra calories daily.

3. Go by foot

Going to work? Nipping into town? If you can, ditch the car and walk instead. Even getting off the bus a couple of stops early, or parking your car further away from your destination, is a great way to add 10 minutes of exercise into your day.

4. Take a buddy

Fitness is much more fun with company, so why not see if a friend fancies going for a walk instead of meeting up for coffee?

5. Go domestic

No one looks forward to doing household chores, but if you see it as part of your weekly workout, it doesn’t seem so bad. Even ironing for 10 minutes burns around 20 calories, while vacuuming for the same time burns nearly 50 calories.

6. Put the kettle on

Want a quick burst of exercise? While the kettle’s boiling, pick up a couple of baked bean tins and do some bicep curls, or march on the spot until the button clicks off.

7. Take a break

If you’re short on time, you could allocate part of your lunch break to going for a walk, having a quick swim or cycling round the local park.

8. Get fit in front of the box

If you don’t want to tear yourself away from the telly, you could do squats or stretches while catching up on your favourite soap.

9. Get some fresh air

Why not spend 10 minutes watering the plants, weeding or doing any other little outdoor jobs that need to be done?

10. Prepare for bed

To wake up energised, try incorporating 10 minutes of evening yoga into your schedule before you turn in for the night. Visit do yogawithme.com which lets you access a whole range of yoga videos for free.

Top Exercise Tips:

If you need some motivation to get your trainers on, fitness apps can really help with tips, inspiration and ideas. Fitness apps also provide tracking tools so you can see how you’re improving each time you exercise. You could try: MyFitnessPal, Strava or Couch to 5K for those who want to start running.

If you have a fitness tracker, try to get in the habit of using it as part of your everyday routine.

Make sure to warm-up before you exercise, it helps to prevent injuries like hamstrings strains by allowing the body to prepare steadily and safely. Warm-up sessions can include a combination of cardio and stretching exercises.